The Cabin
by dshell99
Summary: Kevin and Edd go on their honeymoon to the Barr's family cabin in the mountains. They both learn a bit more about one another and how much they, unlike honey badgers, care about their man. Disclaimer: I don't own Ed, Edd, N Eddy. I only own my OCs and plot
1. The Arrival

**Author's Note: For Anybodihearme, her grandpa, Mother Ireland, vacations,** ** _hound dogs from hell,_** **and** ** _cabins in the woods._**

 ** _Tell Daddy Sir I said Hiiiiiiiii!_**

 **#weaintshit**

"Hey, Edd. Babe. Wake up."

Edd heard the whisper in his ear over the electric pop rock sound of one of Kevin's favorite band's coming through the speakers in the car.

When he finally blinked his eyes open, he couldn't believe what was looking back at him through the car's windshield as the sun started to set in the distance.

Kevin had told him since they were kids that his granddad had a cabin in the mountains some twelve hours away that his family would sometimes get away to during the crazy hot summer months and a few times during the fall and winter holidays.

He had seen pictures once they started hanging out more in high school and by the time they started dating in college, he saw plenty of more pictures and a few videos, too.

But to see it for himself was quite the sight to behold.

It was a standard sized cabin for a large vacationing family. Ranch style, but completely made of logs with a tin shingle roof.

He knew there was a working outhouse in the back, but the place had been refurbished with electricity and indoor plumbing when Kevin's dad was a teenager.

But other than that, it was truly a _log cabin in the woods._

"This is it?," he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah," Kevin grinned as he turned the car off and unplugged the aux cord from his phone and handed Edd both of their mobile devices and the keys. "You go unlock the door, I'ma grab our bags."

Edd nodded as he stepped out of the car before taking a long stretch and a deep breath of the clean, but thin mountain air.

The floorboards of the front porch creaked beneath his feet, and the screen door opened with a whine, but the heavy oak front door swung open noiselessly.

When he stepped inside, he was greeted by a woodsy scent, but the place smelled _fresh_.

He quickly found a door stop to help keep the heavy front door propped open, after he pulled the hinge on the screen to keep it propped open, too.

"Need any help?," he called to his husband.

"Nah," Kevin called back. "Why don't you take a look around, ok?"

"Kay!"

* * *

Their wedding day was yesterday and Kevin's dad gave them the keys to the Barr family cabin for a week away.

They couldn't afford much in a honeymoon on their teacher's salaries and were ready to get a _nice_ hotel room in the city and just laze about and maybe take in a play at the community theater and try a new restaurant. But the senior Barr man wouldn't hear of it.

 _Everyone_ that married into the family took a _honeymoon_ to the cabin.

Some people stayed a weekend, most stayed a week like he and Kevin would be doing.

Kevin's parents stayed _a month_ and came back with news that the redhead was on his way.

Kevin's cousins never let him live it down and the jokes about him _knocking up_ Edd were _tiring_ to say the least, but Kevin was glad that at least his family was _accepting_ of who he was.

They were both surprised that Edd's parents showed up to the wedding and even stayed a bit for the reception.

They gave civil congratulations and _welcomed_ Kevin to the family, but after the couple's first dance, they were gone again.

His few other family members that came and stayed for the entire celebration weren't nearly as cold, but things were _tense_.

When Kevin saw that _Eddy_ was more congenial by comparison, he made his peace with the fact that Edd's _side of the family_ wouldn't be on _their_ side.

Their friends in the cul-de-sac were Edd's _real_ _family_ by far and now he and Kevin were a family of their own.

And family got to stay at The Cabin.

Edd walked down the small hallway that led to the open floor plan that was _hearth_ of the cabin.

To his left was the large living room.

A couch, loveseat, and two recliners framed a coffee table, but there were small end tables between each piece of furniture. Each table was different, but all were made of wood. The same could be said of the lamps on top of them.

Above the fireplace was a large screen TV. Built into the wall were shelves that held all kinds of books, board and card games, DVDs and VHS tapes, vinyl records, cassette tapes and CDs. And on one shelf next to the big picture window that framed the living room was a VCR and Blu Ray DVD player.

On another shelf closer to the stairs that lead to a large loft above the cabin's two main bedrooms, was a stereo system that controlled the surround sound that was now wired into the cabin.

Looking system over, he saw that it was a newer one with _Bluetooth_ capabilities and decided that while he explored what the Barr's had to offer in entertainment, he'd play some of his own.

After he turned on the stereo system and its Bluetooth, he turned on his own, paired them up, and brought up his favorite playlist.

* * *

Kevin walked into the cabin with his backpack on his back, Edd's _traveling_ messenger bag on one shoulder, two duffels on the other, as he pulled a large suitcase behind him, and was a met with the _wall of sound_ that was System Of A Down.

He shook his head as the seventh grade math teacher bobbed his head to the music and headed into the large kitchen and started to explore what Kevin's aunt, who was the cabin's caretaker, left for them to eat.

After he dropped the bags off in the master bedroom, he peeked in on Edd, who was standing at the kitchen island reading a note with a silly grin on his face.

Kevin had heard stories about how the small island which sat in the middle of the room, one side facing the kitchen sink and the other facing the stove, which he had only seen used as a prep table, would be set up as a space for the newlywed couple to have their meals together as the breakfast nook was touch too spacey for most new couples and the dining room on the other side of the kitchen was for formal family meals _only._

But no one told him about _The Note_.

* * *

His aunt had started writing notes to visitors to the cabin as soon as she moved to town and her daughter came to the cabin with her kids to get away from it all after a _very nasty_ divorce.

She wrote her daughter a few words of encouragement, some advice on how to deal with a few _odd_ things about the cabin (i.e. the kitchen sink's pipes are always gonna sound noisy. just deal with it!), and fun things to do in town if she ever wanted to come in for a bit.

But considering that _town_ was a good forty five minutes away and there were plenty of hiking paths to explore, and a few choice more to _avoid_ , a hiker's manual was left with the note that many a _new to the woods_ Barr had thumbed through.

The daughter and her tykes got a break, and found some new berries to preserve.

And Auntie Deb's tradition grew.

For every person that left her with their thanks and tales of what they did over dinner before they left the area, she shared all that and more with each new visitor.

Over time, she got really good about who would use her information and why.

* * *

In Edd's hands was a welcome note of sorts, curated to his and Kevin's tastes.

Edd was used to the Barr's _open arms, open hearts_ way of just _being,_ but this was sweeter than the icing on the wedding cake Jimmy made for them.

"Hey."

Misty blue eyes flashed up into soft green and Edd swallowed thickly as he said, "She left us a note."

"I see," the all-boys gym and eighth grade health teacher said as he took the note from his better half and started to read.

 _Dearest Kevin and Eddward,_

 _Welcome to the cabin! I know you're probably tired from your long trip, so I made sure that there is some nice soothing teas and hot cocoa in the cabinet next to the fridge. The venison in the freezer is fresh, and so is the rabbit. The fishing is good this time of year, so don't forget to head to the lake for that! And Kevin, the cove is pretty cozy. *wink wink!* Also, I got the canned goods about a month ago for when Annie and Megan came up with their hellions, so they're still good. There MIGHT BE some candy still around, I'm not too sure about that, tho, but if you find it, have at it!_

 _The weather is supposed to be clear all this week, but you just never know with summer weather, so BE CAREFUL! The fallout is ready just in case and STAY OFF the deer path this time of year. They're getting down now, too! Haha!_

 _Enjoy your stay!_

 _Love you two and welcome again to the family, Double Dee._

 _Auntie Deb_

 _PS Don't forget that we're having dinner in town on Thursday night at Harper's Diner! 7 o'clock on the dot! Don't be late or I'll come after you! LOL_

"Well, this is nice. I never knew she did this," Kevin said as he glanced over the note before handing it back to Edd.

"Prolly just something nice for visitors," Edd said quietly as he tucked the note away in his back pocket. "We need to be sure to thank her."

Kevin rolled his eyes and scoffed out a laugh.

"Like you'd let me forget to do that," he snickered as he cocked a brow at him and Edd gave him his best _stank face_.

"Someone needs to."

"Yeah, yeah."

* * *

"So what's _the cove?,"_ Edd asked over their first _real meal_ all day.

After spending some twelve hours on the road with only fast food and a few baggies of Edd's homemade trail mix to sustain them while they were on the road, they were both ready for _food_.

Even something as simple as venison burgers and salads.

Kevin blushed and huffed out a sigh as he stabbed at a cherry tomato in his salad.

"It's just a little hideaway spot on the lake," he said quietly.

If his question had been any other, Edd would have thought that Kevin's tone was from not wanting to talk with his mouth full.

But the apprehensive look in his eyes and _red_ tint to his cheeks said otherwise.

 _"Kevin."_

Kevin shot him a quick glare, but was met with an _I'm not here for your bullshit_ stare.

Kevin sighed and bowed his head as he told _his story_.

"Annie and Marla caught me out there with this kid named, Austin, when we were, like, 15. We were just messing around doing stupid shit on a dare. The girls were looking for us because we were supposed to head back with them before dinner and yeah."

"Who's Austin?"

"Just this guy who's family would rent cabin about two miles up the mountain."

"How stupid?"

A _deeply embarrassed_ look flashed into Kevin's eyes, but when Edd shifted in his seat in Kevin's periphery, it was as if a switch was flipped, and the redhead turned to him with a grin as he said, "You wanted me to cast my hand into sex toy because of it."

Edd spit the soda he was sipping across the island before he started coughing and Kevin snickered as he cleaned up the mess.

"W-Wait!," Edd stuttered as the ability to speak returned and his mind started going a mile a minute. "So you were…"

 _"Experimenting?,"_ Kevin shrugged. "I guess. I mean, nothing else happened after they caught us, but no one really said anything, sooo…"

Edd eyeballed him as he took the story in and did some math in his head.

* * *

When school started in the fall the year they were 15, they were only sophomores, but their state mandatory health class for sophomores was _extensive_ when it came to the human sexuality part of the class. In the school year long class, they spent the entire third quarter on that discussion alone.

It was the one class they had together that year and while Edd's questions were _academic,_ Kevin's were more _philosophical._

Kevin sat two seats behind him and because the teacher paired students up by a _1,2_ count off, they were a two man study/presentation group.

When they would get together to study, Kevin's questions got to be more in depth and Edd did his best to answer them, but sometimes Kevin's questions would lead to a few of his own that he didn't get the answers to until his _sophomore year of college_ , when they ran into each other on the campus of the Tiny Ivy Edd had been accepted to right out of high school, after Kevin transferred in from the junior college in Peach Creek to play baseball.

In nearly everything in his life, Edd had been an early bloomer except when it came to who he truly was.

He may have wanted to cast Kevin's hand as his own personal pleasure device, but that hand did more than get him off better than he could have ever done by himself.

It guided him to the truth about who he was, his place in _their world_ , and then to _love_.

All thanks to _stupidity_ in a _cove_ and Kevin's sophomoric inability to turn down a _dare._

* * *

"Where is he now?"

Kevin shrugged and gave him a _hell if I know_ look.

"I wanna go fishing tomorrow," Edd said as he gave him a _you owe me_ glance when he took a bite of his burger.

"Yes, Dear."


	2. Discoveries

The next morning dawned clear and bright and Edd woke up alone, but could smell the coffee that Kevin would brew for him before he went on his morning run.

But it was damn near lunch time by the time the redhead made it back.

When he came back into the cabin, he found Edd laying the middle of the living room floor, his _I'm Sad!_ playlist blasting through the surround sound as an open encyclopedia of the flora species in the area laid on his face.

Kevin quickly jogged into the living room when he saw him lying there, the wild flowers he picked for him quickly cast aside as he dropped to the floor to check his _sniffling_ man over.

"Are you ok?!"

"K-Kevin," Edd whined from behind his book.

"Yeah, Baby? Are you alright?!," Kevin asked again as he took the heavy book off of his face.

But Edd's _snarky ass brat_ glare met him as soon as his face reappeared to the world and Kevin _knows_ he's _fucked._

"How's _Austin?"_

"Oh, fucking eh, Edd!," Kevin groaned as he tossed the large book across the room and Edd sat up and crossed his arms as his glare deepened. "I'm sorry I took so long," Kevin sighed. "I just kinda just get lost when I come out here, so I forgot –"

"That you have a _husband at home waiting for you?!"_

"No," Kevin said with a small smile that he often wore whenever Edd caught him bragging about him. "I just kept seeing things I wanted to show you later. Like these…"

When he handed him the wild flowers, Edd's worry and jealousy fled.

The gorgeous mini bouquet of daisies, black eyed Susan's, baby's breath, and bright yellow dandelions was not only pretty to look at and smelt as sweet and fresh as great outdoors they came from, Edd wanted _more_.

But the only way to do that is if he went with Kevin on one of his runs, which he hated because they'd be out for _hours_ just _running_ and he'd rather…

"You up for a hike after lunch?," Edd said as he stood up and looked at the clock to see that it was 1145AM.

"I thought you wanted to go fishing?," Kevin asked as he went to pick up the book he tossed away.

"Later,' Edd grinned knowingly. "Fish only really bite at sunrise _and sundown."_

Kevin looked after him with wide eyes as he went into the kitchen to make some soup and sandwiches for lunch before hopping into a _cold_ shower.

* * *

Service on their phones had been spotty at best when they were outdoors and they figured out the only place each could get a signal was in the laundry room. But they would have to sit or stand across from one another to do it and Edd could only get a signal next to the dryer and Kevin, next to the washing machine.

Not wanting to deal with Eddy's and Marla's teasing texts about their honeymoon antics, they kept their phones off except to play music, and then they would silence all of their other apps so they could get their tunes uninterrupted.

On their hike, they each had _one bar_ , so they didn't bother with any of their apps, only taking their phones off to take pictures.

And Edd got even more wild flowers.

He got more than a few kisses under oak and maple trees.

But the burnt out cabin two miles up the mountain put his fears of _another_ to rest.

* * *

Edd kept the lantern in the small row boat low to keep moths and mosquitoes away and because the moon was doing a fine job of giving them all the overhead light they would need to see their way to the center of the lake.

Kevin did the rowing and Edd took as many pictures of the sunset and then the star filled sky as he could before his phone threatened to die.

And Kevin saw that Edd was right about the fish biting.

They both got their fair share of bites, but they only kept the few that they knew they would eat. When Kevin moped about not finding anything worth mounting on the wall in the small den at their house back in Peach Creek, Edd promised they would come out again as soon as they could to see what they could get.

"It's late, Kev," Edd said sympathetically as he patted the redhead's hand. "The big guy is probably sleeping and since you go running in the mornings, you'll just have to wait til you can come out here with your dad or something because I'm not rowing this thing out here by myself."

Kevin gave him a side eyed glare because he _knew_ that Edd was very capable of rowing the boat out and back again a few times, but wouldn't to simply because he _didn't._

This excursion was for Kevin's benefit by far as the stories Rolf and Johnny told him about the shenanigans they got into when they came out for Kevin's bachelor weekend a few weeks ago let him know that his new husband was more the type for all that came with being out in the woods than he ever would be.

But he had his own other reasons, too…

Kevin scoffed at his words and made a big show of rowing them back to the cabin's dock, but Edd didn't pay him much attention.

He was very aware of what Kevin's body could do and now he was more concerned about finding a new place for him to show off in that was more stable than the small row boat they were in.

He lit the lantern a bit more and held it higher as they made their way back, and Kevin thought he was just keeping an eye out for the cabin as the late night fog started to roll in.

"There!"

Kevin turned to where Edd had the lantern shedding its soft blue light and then he saw it, too.

The leaves of three huge weeping willow trees guarded the entrance well, but as the wind blew and their rowing kicked up the leaves trailing in the water a bit, Kevin saw the dark wall of the cliff that created _the cove._

"Looks like the cove," Kevin said as he peered into the darkness, but he could feel Edd's _you don't say!_ stare on the side of his head.

 _"Row."_

Kevin sighed as he rowed and shot Edd a few hard stares of his own, but the ravenette didn't see them as he was busy staring at the tall wall of the cliff and the leaves of the trees that covered it.

He gasped in awe as he saw the roots that crept down from the surface above into the cliff itself and into the waters of the lake.

It was pitch black inside the cove and Edd turned the lantern up all the way so they could see.

And in the silence, Kevin heard something he had never heard before.

"Is that…?"

"Sounds like a waterfall," Edd said curiously. "But where is it coming from?"

Kevin knew that the cove was just one part of the lake that held many secrets.

* * *

There was a walking path from the small beach that the trees above the cove hid away. The path led to a small park, a ranger's station, and the main road. A two mile walk down the road led to a small general store where Kevin and his cousins would spend their summer allowances on ice cream in before walking back and jumping off the cliff into the deepest part of the cove.

There were other walking paths all around the lake that led into town, or deeper into the forest.

And one led directly to an Indian Reservation.

The people that lived there were always ready to help a lost stranger get back to town or the lake they called home, but like the cove, the meadow a small Amish community lived on, and town's landfill, no one expected to walk off the lake and find it.

Or really anything for that matter.

But the sounds of a waterfall blew him away.

* * *

Taking the lantern from Edd, he held it up and Edd grabbed the oars.

"I guess it's this way?

Edd shrugged as he started to row towards the back of the cove, but kept the boat as close to the wall as possible.

All Kevin had heard growing up when it came to the cove was to stay near its beach.

From the cliff, they would jump a good fifteen feet into waters that ran a good thirty feet below the wall of the cliff.

The wall jutted out a good six feet, but Kevin and his cousins were told to never venture past that wall.

Edd guided the boat around the curve in the wall, under a natural arch that Kevin could see was the path that led to the cove and with no trees to cover them, the moon lit the rest of the way.

A quick moving, but shallow and mostly clear river rushed beneath them and Edd had his work cut out for him to row the boat against the current.

Right as Kevin reached for the oars, the boat spun into large pond that was created by the waterfall.

 _"Whoa."_

Edd said nothing, but his jaw dropped and his eyes were wide.

The waterfall seemed to be a centerpiece in a small _Garden of Eden_ of sorts.

The beach was white and there was a few large boulders and fallen tree trunks to sit on.

The foliage was _green_ and the flowers were the most vibrant Edd had _ever_ seen.

And he was a bit perturbed because they had spent a pretty penny on the flowers for the wedding and he knew they would never look as good as the ones before him now.

When a young six point buck and a doe came out of the woods to get a drink, the two newlyweds stared and the animals stared back before the buck let his thirst get the best of him and the doe followed suit.

Kevin grabbed Edd's hands before he could take a picture of the majestic animals that trotted off with nary a glance back.

"Why did you-?!"

"Because I didn't want you to scare them!," Kevin hissed at him. "It's _mating season,_ Babe. A flash going off in their eyes is bound to make them crazy and I ain't got time for that," he sighed as he slowly let Edd's hands go and the ravenette pouted.

"But I just wanted a picture."

"Picture it in _your mind,"_ Kevin teased as he leaned in for a kiss that Edd did _not_ return and Kevin laughed in his pretty _city boy_ face.

Kevin beached the boat so they could look around without it floating away as they did so.

The area was small and there didn't seem to be a path to or from it.

The pond was shallow, at least six feet by Kevin's best estimate.

If tossing a stick as tall as he was into the center of it was a good way to get a measurement anyways.

Because their signals were gone in the space, Edd couldn't look up the topography to the area to see where the waterfall originated from, but Kevin liked the secrecy of it all so Edd left it at that.

As the moon started to dip down and the fish they caught started to _smell_ , they decided to head back.

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow."


	3. Making Do

But the next day didn't exactly _dawn_.

It took an exceptionally loud roll of thunder to shake Edd awake and he was a bit surprised when he glanced towards the window and didn't see any sunshine.

It wasn't _dark,_ per se. But it was definitely cloudy and a bit foggy, too.

He bolted upright when the clock on the nightstand next to the bed read 1130AM.

He knew they got to bed late as they were both keen on getting their fish gutted and fileted before they put it away as they didn't have any ice to keep it all on overnight.

But he didn't realize how late til now as he was as well rested as he knew he could be on the recommended eight hours of sleep, except that the morning was near over and it was time for lunch.

* * *

"Kevin, wake up," he yawned as he shook the man stretched out next to him but Kevin just rolled over, wrapped his arms around him and pulled him into a cuddle as he muttered, "Five more minutes."

"It's nearly _noon,_ Kev," Edd sighed as he tried to wiggle away. "We're wasting daylight," he chuckled as he looked out the window only to see _grey_ looking back at him.

"Aw, Ma!," Kevin whined, not once opening his eyes.

"Do not, Kevin Anthony."

Kevin cracked a green eye as he pouted and said, "And yet, you're using my _middle name_."

"I said it, like, fifteen times on Saturday in our vows alone," Edd retorted.

"Yeah, but you were promising to love and cherish me then! Now, you're just being a meanie and making me get up because…"

At this point, Kevin had rolled over so he could look at Edd properly, but the sprinkles that were now being misted across the window were a sure fire sign that they weren't wasting anything but perfectly good sleeping weather by being _awake._

"We'll throw off our schedules if we just stay in bed all day."

"Not if we use the bed right," Kevin grinned as he wrestled Edd back into the sheets.

* * *

When Edd woke up again some three hours after Kevin showed him what he meant by _using the bed right,_ the sun was starting to break through the clouds, but a chill was coming through drafty window.

But he smelled the tale tell smell of wood burning in the fireplace.

And his mother's tomato bisque soup on the stove in the kitchen.

He slowly sat up as Kevin walked into the bedroom, a couple of logs under one arm and a cup of tea in his free hand.

"Hey, sleepyhead," he grinned as he kissed his forehead and handed him the tea. "It's that berry blend."

Edd took the tea and sipped it, letting the honey sweetened blue and raspberry blended tea spike his blood sugar and rattle him awake again.

When he could focus, he saw Kevin kneeling in front of the fireplace in their bedroom with his head stuck up the chimney.

"Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, just checking to make sure it's clear," Kevin's voice echoed back to him before he reappeared, a bit of soot on his forehead. "I know dad said Aunt Deb was getting the place ready on Saturday, but birds and squirrels can move pretty fast when they want a clear place to hide," he said as he placed the logs in the fireplace and lit a stick he pulled out of his hoodie's pocket and used it to start the fire before stoking it with the poker next to the hearth. "Why don't you go check on the soup?," he suggested as Edd drug himself out of the bed.

* * *

Edd limped into the kitchen, a few memories of his mother making the soup when he was a child playing in his head.

He swallowed old feelings of hurt at the fact that his parents and a good chunk of his family didn't _understand_ him as he took a test bite of the soup.

The only other family member who was _like that_ , was a distant great uncle who was an artist in Miami. Most of the family wrote it off as artistic eccentricity, the rest just said his mother hugged him too much because his father was never around.

Edd's parents were _logical_ and had their heads on straight. Despite their busy jobs, they did right by their son, who was doing okay for himself despite being friends with a jock like Kevin who asked too many questions about things that people just didn't talk about.

When Edd came home for spring break their sophomore year of college, a bit too chummy with Kevin for their tastes, let alone the near opposite twosome's friends, Edd knew he was just as good as disowned.

Being estranged was worst.

Instead of being welcomed when they came back as an official couple at Thanksgiving junior year, Edd's parents were just as chilly towards them as the weather.

He begged Kevin to stay with his own parents as he sorted things out with his, only to come to the Barr's for Thanksgiving dinner and not return to the home he grew up in except to grab his things when they left for school again on Sunday.

Madelyn Barr was glad that she kept a few things Kevin had grown out of for the young man to wear, and he thanked her the only way he knew how.

By sharing what he had.

A few recipes were exchanged and they had each memorized their faves by the time they graduated from grad school and moved back to Peach Creek to teach.

Kevin knew he loved the tomato bisque on rainy days, but it was always bittersweet.

He was taste testing another bite of the creamy soup when Kevin came behind him and wrapped him up in a hug.

"Wanna play Trouble?," he murmured into the top of Edd's curly head.

 _"One game_ ," Edd grinned at him, a competitive fire in his blue eyes that stayed strong as they played _eight games_ of the pop top kids game, two rounds of UNO, and a sexy game of poker that ended with them naked and wrapped up in the cashmere throw Sarah and Jimmy got them as a joint wedding present on the deer skin rug in front of the fire place.

* * *

"So you shot this poor thing?," Edd asked as he let his free hand slide through the soft fibers of the rug and Kevin played with the rings he placed on his left hand some seventy two hours before.

"Yeah," Kevin said as he rolled his eyes. "Clean shot straight to the heart."

"So more practicing for the real thing?," Edd teased as he rolled over in his arms and bat his eyes at him.

"Oh, my God, _Edd,"_ he groaned and the sassy man laughed in his face. "It worked didn't, though?," he snarked back and Edd pouted.

 _"Maybe."_

"I have proof on _video_ that it did!," Kevin laughed as he held Edd's bejeweled left hand up in triumph.

"Yeah, yeah."


	4. Hell Hounds Of The Mountainside

Kevin woke up alone on the rug on Wednesday morning but thought nothing of it as he figured that Edd wanted to get out and explore on his own as he was now a bit more comfortable with his surroundings.

Not more than ten minutes after he stepped outside to stretch the kinks out, have some coffee, and enjoy the nice late spring morning weather on the front porch than Edd scampered up with a small critter in his gloved hands.

Considering that he was wearing an overcoat, albeit unzipped, and one of Kevin's old hoodies with the warm gloves, Kevin knew he got up early and it had to be a bit chilly when he did so.

But now he was flushed, but grinning.

"Lookit what I found!," he squealed and Kevin went from curious to _horrified_ as soon as the small animal was thrust into his face.

"Sk-Skunk bear," he whispered as a shudder ran down his spine.

"Isn't it cute?," Edd giggled as he pulled the baby wolverine close again and it chattered a bit as it leaned its head on his shoulder.

 _"E-Edd."_

Edd looked up at him in a bit of shock because Kevin rarely ever sounded unsure of himself. Let alone _scared_.

And right now, he sounds _terrified._

Like Edd was holding a bag full of needles that he wanted to test on him _terrified._

"Kevin, what is it?," he asked softly, blue eyes full of concern for the man in front of him and not the wild animal he had cradled on his shoulder.

Kevin swallowed thickly before he spoke, but he was shaking and his voice was barely above a whisper as he did so.

"B-Babe, that's a _wolverine_ ," he said as he pointed to the furball in Edd's hands. "You gotta let it go."

Edd looked at the baby wolverine and then back to Kevin and a pout settled onto his face as he sat the animal down.

"It just started following me…"

"You would attract the craziest thing next to a damn honey badger out here, wouldn't you?," Kevin said as he pulled Edd back towards the porch as the wolverine started to explore the yard.

"Actually, I chased a honey badger away from it."

Kevin's left hand covered his dropped jaw and Edd couldn't help but think that the peridots in his engagement ring brought out the hazel in the redhead's green eyes.

And that he would be seeing Kevin looking at him like this _a lot_ over the course of the rest of their lives.

"You chased a _honey badger_ away from a _wolverine_ , then you bring the _wolverine_ back _here?"_

 _"Yeah,"_ Edd shrugged, but there was so much confusion in his eyes and Kevin couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for his _city boy_.

"Babe, you gotta let Mother Nature _be,"_ Kevin snickered as he hugged him, glad he made it back _alive_.

"But it's just a baby…"

"And you're _mine,"_ Kevin whined and Edd's head fell some more. "I just want you to come back alive, okay," he whispered as he hugged him again.

"Okay," Edd muttered into his shoulder.

Kevin squeezed him a bit until a breeze picked up and they both wrinkled up their noses.

"God, you smell like hell, Dude," Kevin said as he pulled away from the hug and pulled Edd back into the house as the baby wolverine scampered underneath it to go after a squirrel. "C'mon, we're taking a shower."

* * *

They stayed in the shower until the water ran cold, then crashed out for the rest of the afternoon.

Kevin was the first to wake up and made them a picnic dinner of tuna sandwiches, chips, a couple bags of skittles, and some sodas, before taking him down a clear path to a small shed at dusk and to the real reason why he wanted his bachelor party at the cabin in the first place.

"What's in here, Kev?," Edd asked as Kevin undid the lock to the door, but the redhead said nothing as he opened the door, stepped inside and pulled the tarp off of a cherry red 1950 Harley Davidson Panhead.

 _"Whoa."_

 _"Yeah,"_ Kevin smiled as he kicked the kickstand to the bike and pushed it out of the shed. "It was Granddad's but anyone that has a license can ride it."

"Is it _ready?"_

"Oh, yeah," Kevin nodded as he put the kickstand down again and went back into the shed to pull out two helmets and riding jackets from the metal trunk in the back. "That's why I came up here for my party. Had to make sure she was ready to go before we came out."

Edd smirked as he pulled his beanie off of his head and buckled the helmet on.

Kevin hadn't been too keen on the idea of staying in the city for a honeymoon, but they were too broke to argue about it.

The cabin had been mentioned a few times to them as a place to go to get away over breaks when they were in school, but friends, Kevin's fraternity brothers, and a few distant cousins and once, Edd's great uncle in Miami, had always invited them elsewhere.

When his parents told them they could use the cabin for their honeymoon at their wedding shower two months ago, Kevin begged them to let him do his bachelor party there, too. His mother didn't quite understand the urgency to his request, but his father did and immediately called his sister to see if the date of the bachelor weekend worked for her.

 _It did._

And Kevin spent the daylight hours working on the bike and the nighttime hours getting drunk with his friends.

All that hard work meant that they got to take part in something that Kevin _loved_ and Edd was slowly learning to love, too.

The fit was tight as the motorcycle company had just gotten into motorcycles having riders in the back and not just in sidecars at that point, but neither minded.

They took a long ride up into the mountainside, eventually coming to a high clearing from which they could see the entire valley.

And it was breathtaking.

* * *

As the sun set, she cast one long, bright, vibrant beam of light and they saw the valley fall asleep, but wake up at the same time.

Owls hooted, coyotes howled, fish jumped to catch lazy flies, toads and frogs chattered, and fireflies lit up the world below as the stars came out to light up the sky above.

By the light of the moon, they had a late dinner and then laid out to watch the stars come out to spin and dance across the dark sky.

"This is spectacular, Kevin," Edd said in awe as he saw a few stars fall away but even more new ones take their place while others held on to their permanent spots in the night sky.

"Yeah, it is pretty, isn't it?," Kevin mused as he pulled Edd closer under his arm. "Granddad proposed to Grams up here. Can't say I blame him…"

"It _is_ a bit romantic…"

"Yeah," Kevin snickered. "His friends made fun of him for getting a bike with such a long seat, but he got Grams so…"

"And it got us _you."_

"I know right?!"

He could of sworn he _heard_ Edd roll his eyes, but it wasn't often he could one up the ravenette's teasing so he would take what he could get.

In the silence, they heard a familiar chatter and Kevin sat up and peered into the underbrush around the tree he had the bike leaning on.

"Looks like your baby followed us up here," he said as he wrinkled up his nose and Edd sat up to look in the direction he was facing and saw two small dark eyes peer back at him.

"Well, isn't he a smart one," Edd grinned and Kevin sighed.

"As long as he doesn't eat us alive!"

 _She_ never would.

But she and her descendants would forever keep watch over the cabin as thanks to a curious city boy caring way more than a honey badger ever would.


	5. Taking It All In

Instead of taking his usual morning run the following morning, Kevin woke Edd up with a plan: spend the whole day at the waterfall before dinner with Aunt Deb.

The next morning would be spent on the road as they needed to be back home Saturday so Edd could finish putting the fine touches to his summer school lesson plans for when he headed back to work on Monday and Kevin could check over his Little League and Tee Ball coaching schedule before jumping into his personal trainer classes on Sunday.

Edd packed a lunch and snacks, covered them both in sunscreen and mosquito repellant, and helped Kevin row the boat to the hideaway.

In the daylight, they saw that there was a small deer path from elsewhere in the woods, but the tiny paradise was otherwise untouched.

After beaching the boat, they ventured out into the center of the pond and figured out it was a good ten feet in the deepest part, which made it easy to swim in.

Well, Kevin swam.

Edd just floated lazily as he blocked the fact out of his mind that they would have to leave this glorious place and return to the _real world_ all too soon.

They heard a fish jump before another large splash followed by a familiar squeak a few moments later.

Edd raised his head a bit to see _their wolverine_ swim away with her fish and Kevin just shook his head as he dog paddled around his husband.

"I'ma name it Honey," Edd said thoughtfully.

"Honey?"

"Honey badgers don't care, but I do," Edd said as he folded his hands behind his head and floated away.

* * *

They had lunch on the shore and took a nap under the shade of the oak trees that lined the bank of the beach.

Edd woke up first to see Honey sunning herself on a nearby boulder, a mother otter floating with her baby in the pond, and a deer with her fawn stepping out of the woods to take a drink from the pond not more than two feet from where Edd was laying.

But a loud hiss woke Kevin up and sent the other animals scattering as Edd panicked.

Tiny baby Honey was up and on her hindquarters, hissing at a honey badger.

Kevin wrapped his arms around Edd and pleaded with him in a low whisper to _be quiet_ as the badger waddled past Honey to get a drink and then dive into the pond for a swim and maybe catch a bite.

Once the badger was in the water, Honey settled down, but never took her eyes off the other creature, who eventually swam away to the cove and then the lake itself.

When the badger was out of sight and thus out of mind, Honey stretched herself out on her boulder and closed her eyes.

Edd's groan of relief that the situation had passed without much incident made her crack an eye and she gave him a little squeak before settling down for a nap.

"Honey badgers don't care, Dear."

Edd turned to give him a his best stink eye and Kevin shrugged.

"But _I do,_ and Honey do, too," Edd snipped and Kevin just chuckled.

"Meh."

* * *

"Whatever happened to that cabin the Robinson's used to rent out?," Kevin asked his aunt over dinner that night and the woman nearly choked on her coffee as she laughed at the memory.

Edd shot Kevin an annoyed look, but even he was curious as to how the place became inhabitable.

"Ok, I _know_ you remember Austin, right?," the woman grinned and Kevin blushed crimson as he nodded.

Edd maintained a poker face, though.

Which is why Kevin only plays the game with him on deer skin rugs.

"Well, he was up there with his cousins a few years ago, and they dared him to light his cigarette with one of the logs from the fireplace. When he picked the log up, it created a bit of a back draft and he tossed it when the fire kicked up. Log landed on the coffee table , bounced and just started rolling around and setting everything on fire. They all ran out and then down to our place so I could call for help because they didn't have any service at all up there. But by the time the fire department got there it was a goner."

Kevin and Edd just stared at her after she finished her monologue.

But then the wheels in Edd's head started to turn and he face palmed.

"Ok, you said the _Robinson's_ owned that place. Is this _Austin_ the _Austin Robinson aka_ _ARob_ prankster that hangs out with those daredevils The Crazy M8's?"

"Yeah, how did you know?," Aunt Debbie asked and then realization hit Kevin like a ton of bricks.

"One of my best friends _loves_ them," Edd sighed. "Even got Big Bob and JT to come to his comic book store for April Fool's Day one year."

"Cool!"

"Not really, Aunt Deb," Kevin scoffed and Edd nodded. "The place as a mess when they left and they have it in their contract that as long as the building is still standing when they leave, they don't have to help clean up or pay for the cleanup when they're done pranking for the day."

"Took damn near a week and a half to get things back in order and all Ed got was a few signed posters and a couple of tshirts," Edd sighed. "But he still thinks it was the best day ever…"

"So y'know Moni, right?," Aunt Deb said as she tossed a glance to Kevin who nodded.

"Austin's sister, right?"

"The very one!," Aunt Deb said as she shook her head, "She still likes the brag about that fire when they come to ski at the resort for New Year's."

Edd shuddered and Kevin shrugged, other people's crazy ways of amusing themselves not much phasing him after a childhood with Edd and his friends.

"Takes all kinds," he said as he handed the waiter their dinner plates in exchange for the slices of peach pie they all got for dessert.

"Keep _this kind_ by your side, Kevin," Aunt Deb said with a knowing nod to Edd. "Wolverine's will keep the vermin and squatters away and Edd here seems like a damn smart one."

Kevin rolled his eyes as Edd sang his own _I told ya so_ song to him, because he knew that Edd may not have his sense of adventure, or the good sense to let Mother Nature be, but with him he'd always have someone to share the old with, and discover something new with, too.

Which is what _love_ is all about.

His questions had been finally answered.

The only thing he ever dared to do now was to love the man next to him, and stay the hell out of Honey's way.

And it was a dare he'd _always_ take.


End file.
